Concerns among Democrats and Republicans about crime have increased similarly. Fifty-two percent of Democrats and 64 percent of Republicans view crime as a ‘very big’ national issue, up eight and 12 percentage points from 2021 respectively.

Meanwhile, concerns about gun violence are up 11 points among both Republicans and Democrats. That said, an over 40-point gap still exists between the two parties’ voters on the issue; 81 percent of Democrats view gun violence as a ‘very big’ issue as opposed to just 38 percent of Republicans.

The data from Pew comes as violent crime remains a critical talking point for Republicans on the campaign trail, and as the number of mass shootings and gun-related homicides and suicides continues to increase in the wake of the pandemic. FBI data from 2021, the most recently available year for crime data, noted that 61 mass shootings occurred that year, and that gun-related homicides and suicides that year were responsible for the deaths of 48,830 Americans.

In response to several high-profile mass shootings, notably the May 2022 shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill negotiated the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which expanded background checks and federal funding for community and mental health initiatives. The bill, which President Joe Biden signed into law in July 2022, was the first major piece of gun control legislation passed in three decades.

However, the White House and Democrats on Capitol Hill have continued to push for further federal gun control measures. In February, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) reintroduced the Background Check Expansion Act. The bill, which faces steep odds in the slimly-Democratic Senate and the Republican-controlled House, would extend federal background checks to cover almost all sales and transfers of firearms between individuals.

Biden has also indicated his desire to take greater action on gun violence, saying in a speech in Connecticut earlier this month that the Safer Communities Act was “an important first step” and that “we are not finished.”